Container for bulk goods



y 1966 B. A. MURPHY ETAL 3,262,629

CONTAINER FOR BULK GOODS Filed Dec. 4, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 2.

lllllllllllllllllllllll lllllll lllllHlIllll lllll ll llllllll INVENTOR. BERNARD A. MURPHY y and EDWARD A. Kocs\s /MMMM F'z/M AH'ameys y 1966 B. A. MURPHY ETAL 3,262,629

CONTAINER FOR BULK GOODS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 4, 1964 INVENTOR. BERNARD A. MURPHY BY and EDWARD A. KOCSIS July 26, 1966 s. A. MURPHY ETAL 3,262,629

CONTAINER FOR BULK GOODS Filed Dec. 4, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 6.

IllllllIHIIHIIHHIIHlllHHlllllllllllllllllllllllll Fig. 7.

IN VEN TOR. BERNARD A. MURPHY BY and EDWARD A. Kocsls M WM 5m mu;

Aws

y 1966 B. A. MURPHY ETAL 3,262,629

CONTAINER FOR BULK GOODS Filed Dec. 4, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 J H F W W? 1 Z L 22b L L I l W l I l l A l f/ I IL 2 IN VEN TOR. BERNARD A. MURPHY BY and EDWARD A.Kocs|s AHornz-ms 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 R P s O R w u m Wm u 2 VA. 1 MUM 0 R a o MW M n H mm W, u m M m m 5 July 26, 1966 Filed Dec. 4, 1964 United States Patent 3,262,629 CONTAINER FOR BULK GOODS Bernard A. Murphy and Edward A. Kocsis, Erie, Pa., assignors to Inland Container Corporation, Indianapolis, Ind, a corporation of Indiana- Filed Dec. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 416,048 4 Claims. (Cl. 22914) This invention relates generally to containers of corrugated board adapted for use with bulk goods and in particular to a container made up of inner and outer components which retain proper positional relationship as the container is erected or set up from a flattened or folded condition.

In the copending patent application Serial No. 372,637, filed June 4, 1964, titled, Bulk Container Device, now Patent No. 3,194,471, filed by Bernard A. Murphy and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, there is disclosed and claimed a container for bulk materials in which a flexible, plastic bag is accommodated within a tube of corrugated board. The tube and bag are then inserted into an outer container. The present invention is directed to an improved form of the structure of the copending application.

In the earlier structure, the plastic bag is mounted within a tube of corrugated board. The tube is united with the bag so that, while the tube and bag may be shipped or stored in flattened or collapsed condition, when the tube is erected or set up the bag also is opened. The tube and bag, when set up, may be inserted into an outer container of corrugated board and the bag may then be filled with bulk material such as industrial chemicals. The set up of the tube, with its plastic bag component, and the outer container normally is carried out at the filling installation. The packer must handle two separate units: the tube-bag component and the outer container. Both must be set up separately and the tube-bag component then inserted in the close-fitting outer container.

The structure and method of the present invention incorporates the bag-tube component within the outer container when the assembly is fabricated. The complete assembly of bag-tube and outer container are shipped or stored in collapsed or flattened condition and the assembly is set up by the packer as a unit, the necessity of inserting the erected bag-tube component in the outer container after erection being eliminated.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a container structure, and method of fabricating of the structure, which is particularly adapted for transport of bulk materials and which is characterized by the rapidity and convenience with which the container assembly may be erected for filling.

This and other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan View of the blanks from which the two components of the inner member are formed.

FIG. 2 is a top, plan view of the two panels shown in FIG. I, joined together, and having imposed thereon the flexible bag or liner component.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 but showing the panels forming the tube folded over the liner component and joined together.

FIG. 4 is a schematic, sectional view taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top, plan view of the blank forming the outer sheath component of the assembly.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 but showing the tube and liner components of FIG. 3 positioned on the sheath.

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6 but showing the sheath folded over the tube and with the ends of the sheath fastened together.

3,262,629 Patented July '26, 1966 "ice FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the line 88 of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a schematic, top plan view of the complete container assembly in erected condition.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a container similar to that shown in FIG. 9 but illustrating the use of a lockon cap for the container.

FIG. 11 is a top plan view fragmentarily showing the blank from which the container cap, shown in FIG. 10 is formed.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the container assembly with the lock-cap removed.

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken generally along the line 1313 of FIG. 10.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1 through 4, the tube and bag subassembly will now be described. The relatively rigid tube is preferably formed by two panels of corrugated board indicated generally at 10 and 11 in FIG. 1. The panel 18 is scored transversely as indicated at 12 and 13 and the panel 11 is similarly scored as indicated at 14 and 16. The distance between the score lines 12 and 13 on the panel 16 and between the score lines 14 and 16 on the panel 11 define the width of the tube when it is erected as indicated by the letter W in FIG. 1. Each of the panels, on one of their faces are provided with spaced strips of adhesive indicated at 17, the adhesive being appropriate for adhering the flexible plastic liner bag to the panel. The panels are similarly provided with horizontal strips of adhesive indicated at 18, this adhesive being suitable for pressure adherence of the overlapping portions of the corrugated board panels. The panels 10 and 11 are aligned as shown in FIG. 10 so that a portion of the panel section 19 overlaps a portion of the panel section 21 and when the panel section 19 is placed in overlying relation to the panel 21 as shown in FIG. 2, the distance between the score line 13 and the score line 14, being indicated at L in FIG. 1, defines the length of the tube when erected.

With the panel 19 positioned in overlapping relation with relation to panel 21 as viewed in FIG. 2, a flexible, plastic liner bag indicated at 22 is then placed over the intermediate portion of the joined panels 16 and 11. The adhesive strips 17 on panel sections 19 and 25 secure the bag to the tube panel. The bag may be a polyethylene tube, heat sealed at its bottom margin 22a. As will be evident from FIG. 2 the bag is somewhat wider than the distance between score lines 13 and 16. When the folding of the assembly to its FIG. 3 configuration is completed, this overhang of the bag provides the vertical folds 22b along the bag at opposite margins permitting the exit of air through the folds as the bag is filled. This arrangement of the bag so as to provide an air exit passage is described in detail and claimed in the copending patent application identified above.

As illustrated in FIG. 3 the tube and bag component assembly is completed by folding the sections 23 and 24 of the panel 10 so as to overlie the bag 22 and subsequently folding the panel section 26 so as to overlie panel section 23 with the adhesive strips 18 of the panel section 26 adhering this section to the underlying panel section 23. As will be evident from a comparison of FIGS. 3 and 4 the tube and bag are capable of being erected to a polygonal configuration with the bag or liner 22 being opened for filling.

The outer sheath component of the assembly is shown in FIG. 5. The sheath is made up of a corrugated board and panel separated into sections 31, 32, 33, and 34 by means of transverse score lines 36, 37 and '38. As shown, a longitudinal score line 39, extending the length of the panel, defines bottom closure flaps 31a, 32a, 33a, and 34a, the flaps being further defined by the slots 41, 42, and 43.

The bottom closure flaps are conventional and, it will be aaeaeae understood, the opposite margins of the panel sections 31, 32, 33, and 34 might be similarly provided with top closure flaps. The free marginyof panel section 31 is provided with a score line 44 defining a terminal, manufacturers joint flap indicated at 46. The face of the panel section 32 is provided with lines of pressure adhesive indicated at 47 and similar pressure adhesive lines 47 are present on the face of the panel section 33. Similarly, the underface of the flap 46 is provided with a pressure adhesive.

The inner tube and bag component is joined to the outer sheath as indicated in FIG. 6. The tube and bag subassembly, in the flattened condition shown in FIG. 3, is placed in overlying relation to the sheath panel. It will be noted that the tube is sized, in width, to permit the tube panels to be oriented with respect to the sheath panels so that score lines 13 and 16, representing the left and right hand margins of the tube section 24, are inboard of the score lines 36 and 38, respectively, that is, they are out of register with the corresponding score line 36 and 38 on the sheath panel. This out-of-register' positioning of the corresponding score lines on the tube and sheath is indicated generally at A in FIG. 6 and this arrangement of the tube within the sheath will be referred to as to function in describing FIG. 8. The pressure adhesive strips 47 will serve to fasten the tube within the sheath and the sheath sections 31 and 34 may be folded over the tube as indicated in FIG. 7.

The completed assembly shown in FIG. 7 represents the form in which the container assembly is transported or stored. As will be evident from FIG. 8, when the assembly is in this condition, although the components are fastened or adhered into proper positional relationship to each other, they take up the minimum of space. The amount of offset of the tube fold from the corresponding sheath fold is again indicated at A in FIG. 8. The reason for this offset will be evident from an inspection of FIG. 8. If the ofifset were not present, the sheath would resist flattening to the condition shown in FIG. 8 because a dou- -ble tube wall thickness would be interposed between the sheath sections. Olfsetting the side margins of the tube Within the sheath permits the assembly to be folded into a generally flattened condition as indicated in FIG. 8.

FIG. 9 illustrates the complete assembly when erected or set up into a polygonal configuration with the liner 22 within the container open and ready for filling. From a comparison of FIGS. 8 and 9 it will be evident that this erection of the container for filling requires only a simple spreading motion easily accomplished by a single operator since the tube and liner components are already in place'and properly oriented with respect to the outer sheath. In FIG. 9, in order to prevent obscuring the relationship of the parts, the surfaces which are glued or otherwise fastened together are indicated by short transverse l-ines. It will be noted that, as previously mentioned in order to permit the relatively flat folded or collapsed position for the assembly (shown in FIG. 8). the tube margins must be displaced sidewardly somewhat within the outer sheath to provide space for the sides to fiatten out. The tube is adhered to the inner surfaces of the outer sheath at two adjacent surfaces (19-21 and 25). This gluing configuration eliminates what would otherwise be a relatively large stress at the manufacturers joint defined by the fiap 46. It should further be noted with respect to the tube, as indicated in FIG. 4, the sections 19 and 21 and the sections 23 and 26 do not completely overlap and this permits clearance in the assembly for the manufacturers joint and eliminates an additional thickness of material at the folded margins when the assembly is in collapsed or flattened condition. What overlap of these panels is present, however, does give strength to the container in the critical bulge area (at the central portion of the side walls). Since only a simple opening motion is required to completely set up the assembly the erecting or set up time is cut to approximately thirty seconds whereas the set up time for the separated components, illustrated by the structure shown in the copending patent application identified above, might run to approximately seven minutes.

While the container described, after filling,'can be provided with any suitable type of cap or lid, there is shown in FIG. 10 a particular type of locking cap for use on a container such as that described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 9. When a locking cap of the type shown in FIG. 10 is to be utilized with the container, the container is provided along its upper margin with integral top flaps, such as indicated at 51, 52, 53, and 54 in FIG. 12. These flaps may be folded as indicated in FIG. 12 so as to be self-retaining in overlying relation to the inner liner 22 of the container. The flaps 52 and 54 have cut therefrom tabs 52a and 54a and these are bent downwardly to overlie the adjacent side panels.

The cap of FIG. 10 is composed of a main or top panel 56, side panels 57 and 58 and end panels 59 and 61. The blank from which the cap is folded is illustrated in FIG. 11. A pair of transverse score lines 61 define the end panel 59 to which is joined an under folded flap 62. A tab 63 is cut centrally within the flap 62. The tab 63 is separated from the flap 62 by a central cut 64 but remains hinged to the flap 62 by the score lines 66. The free end of the flap 62 is provided with tabs 67 and aligned with the tabs 67 are half-cuts 68 in the panel 56. A flap 69 is cut from the panel 59 but remains hinged thereto at the score line 71.

The cap is folded from the blank of FIG. 11 as indicated in FIG. 13. The panels 57 and 58 are folded perpendicular to the plane of the top panel 56 and the flaps 72 and 73 are folded inwardly so as to lie along the score line 61. The panel 59 is then folded so as to overlie the flaps 72 and 73 and the fiap 62 is folded downwardly along the inner face of the flap 72 and 73 so that the tabs 67 may enter the half-cuts 68. During this process the flap 63 is folded so as to closely overlie the adjacent portion of the flap 62. As indicated in .FIG. 13, when the cap is folded as previously described, it is held in folded condition by the entrance of the tabs 67 in the half-cuts 68. As the cap is slipped over the end of the container, the margin of the depending flap 54:: will snap over the adjacent ends 75 of the panel 62 and flap 63 so as to lock the cap against removal as will be evident form FIG. 13. Similarly, the flap 52a snaps over the corersponding surfaces on the opposite side of the container (not shown). The cap can be released for removal by the insertion of the operators fingers between the panel 62 and the adjacent side panel of the container so as to urge them apart and by insertion of his fingers through the aperture at the flap 69 and exerting pressure so as to swing the flap 54a rightwardly as viewed in FIG. 13 thus carrying it out of engagement with the surfaces 75. It will be noted that this unlocking operation does not destroy or tear the locking flap 54a and the cap may be returned to locking position on the container when the container is to again be closed. Similar manipulation may be utilized to release the fiap 52a on the opposite side of the container.

While the invention has been illustrated anddescribed in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, the same are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the preferred embodiment has been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims are also desired to be protected.

The invention claimed is:

1. A container assembly adapted for receiving bulk materials comprising a flexible bag, a rigid tube encircling said bag intermediate its ends, said tube being formed by two U-shaped panels of corrugated board overlapping at their end areas and fastened to each other at the areas of overlap, the outer surfaces of said bag being fastened to the adjacent encircling surfaces of said tube, said tube panels being transversely scored to permit flattening of the tube and its erection into a polygonal configuration, an outer sheath formed of a panel of corrugated board joined together at its end margins and encircling said tube, said sheath panel being transversely scored to permit flattening of said sheath and its erection into a polygonal configuration corresponding to the polygonal configuration of said tube, said tube having the outer faces of two of its adjacent side surfaces fastened to the adjacent inner faces of two of the corresponding side surfaces of said sheath, the tube being oriented with respect to said sheath so that the said transverse scoring of said tube is inboard of and out of register with the said transverse scoring of said sheath, whereby the entire assembly may be shipped or stored in a relatively flattened condition and erected as a unit to a multiple walled, polygonal configurated container with said flexible bag constituting a liner for the container.

2. A container assembly adapted for receiving bulk materials comprising a flexible bag, a rigid tube encircling said bag intermediate its ends, said tube being formed by two U-shaped panels overlapping at their end areas and fastened to each other at the areas of overlap, the outer surfaces of said bag being fastened to the adjacent encircling surfaces of said tube, said tube panels being transversely scored to permit flattening of the tube and its erection into a polygonal configuration, an outer sheath formed of a panel having its end margins joined together and encircling said tube, said sheath panel being transversely scored to permit flattening of said sheath and its erection into a polygonal configuration corresponding to the polygonal configuration of said tube, said tube having the outer faces of two of its side surfaces fastened to the adjacent inner faces of two of the corresponding side surfaces of said sheath, the tube being oriented with respect -to said sheath so that the said transverse scoring of said tube is inboard of and out of register with the said transverse scoring of said sheath, whereby the entire assembly may be shipped or stored in a relatively flattened condition and erected as a unit to a multiple walled, polygonal configurated container with said flexible bag constituting a liner for the container.

3. A container assembly adapted for receiving bulk materials comprising a flexible bag, a rigid tube encircling said bag intermediate its ends, said tube being formed of corrugated board, the outer surfaces of said bag being fastened to the adjacent encircling surfaces of said tube, the sides of said tube being transversely scored to permit flattening of the tube and its erection into a polygonal configuration, an outer sheath formed of a panel of corrugated board joined together at its end margins and encircling said tube, said sheath panel being transversely scored to permit flattening of said sheath and its erection into a polygonal configuration corresponding to the polygonal configuration of said tube, said tube having the outer faces of two of its side surfaces fastened to the adjacent inner faces of two of the corresponding side surfaces of said sheath, the tube being oriented with respect to said sheath so that the said transverse scoring of said tube is inboard of and out of register with the said transverse scoring of said sheath, whereby the entire assembly may be shipped or stored in a relatively flattened condition and erected as a unit to a multiple walled, polygonal configurated container with said flexible bag constituting a liner for the container.

4. A container assembly adapted for receiving bulk materials comprising a flexible bag, a rigid tube encircling said bag intermediate its ends, said tube being formed by two U-shaped panels of corrugated board overlapping at their end areas and fastened to each other at the areas of overlap, the outer surfaces of said bag being fastened to the adjacent encircling surfaces of said tube, said tube panels being transversely scored to permit flattening of the tube and its erection into a polygonal configuration, an outer sheath formed of a panel of corrugated board joined together at its end margins and encircling said tube, said sheath panel being transversely scored to permit flattening of said sheath and its erection into a polygonal configuration corresponding to the polygonal configuration of said tube, said tube having the outer faces of two of its adjacent side surfaces fastened to the adjacent inner faces of two of the corersponding side surfaces of said sheath, the entire assembly being capable of storage or shipment in a relatively flattened condition and capable of being erected as a unit to a multiple walled, polygonal configurated container with said flexible bag constituting a liner for the container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,177,919 10/1939 Vogt.

2,357,842 9/1944 Moore 229l4 X 2,412,544 12/ 1946 Waters 229l4 2,556,321 6/1951 Denton 229l4 3,079,060 2/ 1963 Cherrin 229l4 3,143,249 8/ 1964 Merrill et a1. 229l4 X 3,194,471 7/ 1965 Murphy 229l4 GEORGE O. RALSTON, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER ASSEMBLY ADAPTED TO RECEIVING BULK MATERIALS COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE BAG, A RIGID TUBE ENCIRCLING SAID BAG INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS, SAID TUBE BEING FORMED BY TWO U-SHAPED PANELS OF CORRUGATED BOARD OVERLAPPING AT THEIR END AREAS AND FASTENED TO EACH OTHER AT THE AREAS OF OVERLAP, THE OUTER SURFACES OF SAID BAG BEING FASTENED TO THE ADJACENT ENCIRCLING SURFACES OF SAID TUBE, SAID TUBE PANELS BEING TRANSVERSELY SCORED TO PERMIT FLATTENING OF THE TUBE AND ITS ERECTION INTO A POLYGONAL CONFIGURATION, AN OUTER SHEATH FORMED OF A PANEL OF CORRUGATED BOARD JOINED TOGETHER AT ITS END MARGINS AND ENCIRCLING SAID TUBE, SAID SHEATH PANEL BEING TRANSVERSELY SCORED TO PERMIT FLATTENING OF SAID SHEATH AND ITS ERECTION INTO A POLYGONAL CONFIGURATION CORRESPONDING TO THE POLYGONAL CONFIGURATION OF SAID TUBE, SAID TUBE HAVING THE OUTER FACES OF TWO OF ITS ADJACENT SIDE SURFACES FASTENED TO THE ADJACENT INNER FACES OF TWO FO THE CORRESPONDING SIDE SURFACES OF SAID SHEATH, THE TUBE BEING ORIENTED WITH RESPECT TO SAID SHEATH SO THAT THE SAID TRANSVERSE SCORING OF SAID TUBE IS INBOARD OF AND OUT OF REGISTER WITH THE SAID TRANSVERSE SCORING OF SAID SHEATH, WHEREBY THE ENTIRE ASSEMBLY MAY BE SHIPPED OR STORED IN A RELATIVELY FLATTENED CONDITION AND ERECTED AS A UNIT TO A MULTIPLE WALLED, POLYGONAL CONFIGURATED CONTAINER WITH SAID FLEXIBLE BAG CONSTITUTING A LINER FOR THE CONTAINER. 